Synonymy: Smith and Wallach 1997 proposed to conserve the specific name of Demansia atra (Macleay, 1884, (published 29 November)). The name is threatened by the synonym Hoplocephalus vestigiatus De Vis, 1884 (published 13 September) the latter of which was published two months earlier but remained unused until 1990.

Distribution: D. papuensis is now believed to be confined to Australia, despite its name, and D.atra in NG is now known as D. vestigata (Mark O’Shea and John Pilgrim, pers. comm.; SHEA & SCANLON 2007).